Fall Festivities

It's 9:20 pm and all is quiet at the Carlson house. We've had an insanely busy week so far, so the quiet is very welcome. It is a balmy 67 degrees outside, so I'm sitting here typing with the office window open. I love it!

The kids had a blast trick-or-treating. Kylee wore out fairly quickly, but Connor hung in for the duration. He did a great job of saying "trick-or-treat" at each stop--a far cry from a couple years ago when he wouldn't dare to even look directly at a stranger. Above is a pic of the kids with Daddy has they get ready to start trick-or-treating in our neighborhood.

Since Halloween, we've been busy with school, work, and just life in general. Today we had our first playdate with some friends of Connor's from school, Noah and Jacie. He had a great time running around the park with his new buddies after we all enjoyed a picnic lunch together. He is doing so well at Second Friends--I went and helped with his Fall Party last week and it was incredible to watch him relate to his classmates and teachers--he is learning to be a bit more outgoing (here are some pictures of Connor with some of his classmates and with Mrs. Tiffani, the assistant teacher for his class). Mrs. Amy, his lead teacher, told us that he is starting to talk a lot more and "really come out of his shell". I am excited about that, but then I also get nervous--will he decide to talk about something embarrassing? Who knows. Speaking of embarrassment, we had our first confrontation with Mommy/Daddy public displays of affection a couple weeks ago--Brandon gave me a quick hug and kiss one evening while we were watching TV together, and Connor promptly piped up and said "Daddy, that's disgusting!". Let the games begin.

Kylee is doing well, also. Her speech is incredible and clear about 75% of the time. She does a good job of "using her words", and you can almost carry on a conversation with her (as long as her attention span will allow you to). She is starting to get into babies, but still prefers trucks, Play-Doh, puzzles, and coloring to all the pink frilly stuff. She is absolutely ADORABLE, which has saved her life on many occasions (the book "The Strong Willed Child" is currently on hold waiting for us to pick it up from the library). She works hard to keep up with the big kids and does a pretty good job most of the time. She is a riot and keeps us all laughing (when we're not trying to discipline her). ;)

In a couple recent posts, I have mentioned that sibling rivalry has reared its ugly head around our house. We were driving along the other day, and I looked in the backseat to see Connor and Kylee holding hands. I had to snap a picture of it (not the safest thing to do when you're driving, but hey) because the moment really touched me. The kids take such good care of each other, and I hope that their relationship stays strong as they grow up. I know that my brother and sister have been such a source of joy and comfort to me, and I hope that our kids can find strength in each other's company for years to come. One of our greatest joys as parents is watching the two of them play together and really get to giggling. Then there are quieter moments like these, which are no less precious. What a gift!!

We hope this picture will encourage you to squeeze the hand of someone that you love today. :)